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The Burning of the Hay at Coram AND CAPTURE OF FORT ST. GEORGE AT MASTIC
Bv
THOMAS R. BAYLES
1975
ONE of the most daring exploits of the Revolution in Brookhaven
Town was planned and carried out by Major Benjamin Tallmadge in
November 1780. This was the burning of the 300-ton stack of hay at
Coram, which had been collected by the British, and the capture of Fort
St. George at Smith Point, Mastic, which had been constructed by the
British with strongly barricaded houses at two angles, and the third
angle was a fort ninety-six feet square. According to a letter from
Gen. Washington to Major Tallmadge on Nov. 11, 1780, he states "that
the destruction of the forage collected for the use of the British army at
Coram, on Long Island, is of so much consequence that I should advise the attempt to be made. " Evidently he considered the burning of
the hay at Coram to have been more important than the capture of the
fort at Mastic.
Major Tallmadge left Fairfield, Conn. , at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Nov. 21, with 80 men in eight open whale boats. They rowed
across the Sound and landed at Mt. Sinai harbor, near Cedar Beach,
about 9 o'clock that night. A hard rainstorm came on, so they had to
take shelter under their boats and stay until the next night, when they
marched across the Island to Mastic. They arrived within two miles of
the fort by 3 o'clock in the morning and divided the troops into three
companies so as to make attacks on the fort from three directions.
Major Tallmadge led the main company and they were not discovered
by the enemy until they were within 20 yards of the fort. They rushed
in with their bayonets and captured the fort without firing a single shot.
At the same 'time, the other two companies mounted the fort and a
chorus of "Washington and Glory" went up. Just then the British opened
fire from one of the barricaded houses near by where their men were
hidden. A sharp gun battle took place for a short time and Tallmadge's
men drove the British from the house.
During the battle, 7 of the enemy were killed or wounded, the fort
was destroyed, 54 prisoners were taken and also a quantity of merchandise, and a vessel lying nearby in the harbor was burned.

This digital image may be freely used for educational uses, as long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this digital image is permitted without written permission of Longwood Public Library, 800 Middle Country Rd., Middle Island, NY 11953. A high-quality version of this file may be obtained for a fee for personal use by contacting the Longwood Public Library.

The Burning of the Hay at Coram AND CAPTURE OF FORT ST. GEORGE AT MASTIC
Bv
THOMAS R. BAYLES
1975
ONE of the most daring exploits of the Revolution in Brookhaven
Town was planned and carried out by Major Benjamin Tallmadge in
November 1780. This was the burning of the 300-ton stack of hay at
Coram, which had been collected by the British, and the capture of Fort
St. George at Smith Point, Mastic, which had been constructed by the
British with strongly barricaded houses at two angles, and the third
angle was a fort ninety-six feet square. According to a letter from
Gen. Washington to Major Tallmadge on Nov. 11, 1780, he states "that
the destruction of the forage collected for the use of the British army at
Coram, on Long Island, is of so much consequence that I should advise the attempt to be made. " Evidently he considered the burning of
the hay at Coram to have been more important than the capture of the
fort at Mastic.
Major Tallmadge left Fairfield, Conn. , at 4 o'clock in the afternoon on Nov. 21, with 80 men in eight open whale boats. They rowed
across the Sound and landed at Mt. Sinai harbor, near Cedar Beach,
about 9 o'clock that night. A hard rainstorm came on, so they had to
take shelter under their boats and stay until the next night, when they
marched across the Island to Mastic. They arrived within two miles of
the fort by 3 o'clock in the morning and divided the troops into three
companies so as to make attacks on the fort from three directions.
Major Tallmadge led the main company and they were not discovered
by the enemy until they were within 20 yards of the fort. They rushed
in with their bayonets and captured the fort without firing a single shot.
At the same 'time, the other two companies mounted the fort and a
chorus of "Washington and Glory" went up. Just then the British opened
fire from one of the barricaded houses near by where their men were
hidden. A sharp gun battle took place for a short time and Tallmadge's
men drove the British from the house.
During the battle, 7 of the enemy were killed or wounded, the fort
was destroyed, 54 prisoners were taken and also a quantity of merchandise, and a vessel lying nearby in the harbor was burned.

This digital image may be freely used for educational uses, as long as it is not altered in any way. No commercial reproduction or distribution of this digital image is permitted without written permission of Longwood Public Library, 800 Middle Country Rd., Middle Island, NY 11953. A high-quality version of this file may be obtained for a fee for personal use by contacting the Longwood Public Library.